Houston Texans: 4 scapegoats during ’21 rebuild season

If the season for the 2021 Houston Texans is going to be as bad as many believe it is going to be, that means some folks are going to have to take the blame, and for this franchise, there will most likely be plenty of blame to go around.

It is likely the Texans will have one of the worst records in all of the NFL if Deshaun Watson isn’t under center in ’21, and if the defense doesn’t show improvement from their poor outings from the ’20 season. The roster does look different compared to last year on the defensive side of the ball, but even with some veterans moving on to other teams, that doesn’t mean those signed to take their spots will be the right choices, either.

There have also been changes made on offense too, with Will Fuller signing with the Miami Dolphins and some new players joining the offense at varying positions, including quarterback, running back and wide receiver. There basically have been changes made on the offense at every position, so that unit will play much different than that of last season.

With all of the changes on the roster, the low expectations from those outside the organization, and a new front office and coaching staff, there are plenty of folks who can and most likely be scapegoats for this franchise in ’21. Next are four people from the Houston Texans organization who can be considered a scapegoat for this season.

4. Tyrod Taylor

The potential starting quarterback of the Houston Texans in ’21, Tyrod Taylor is on a one-year contract, and if things turn out like they currently are for Deshaun Watson, well, Taylor will be the Week 1 starter for the Texans when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Many are already predicting the season opener, and nearly every game for the Houston Texans in ’21, to be a loss, and the first place on the field the blame goes to is at the quarterback position.

Taylor isn’t Watson by any means, but no matter how poorly this season ends up for the Texans, if it is as bad as many believe it is going to be, Taylor will be getting a lot of the blame. Taylor hasn’t had a 3,000-yard passing season since 2016, and he hasn’t had a full season as a starter since ’17 with the Buffalo Bills.

Taylor won’t be a terrible quarterback for the Texans, but if he is the starter, who is to even say he completes the season in the starting role? It wouldn’t be a surprise, if the Texans do start out the season poorly, that a change could be made at QB and we see rookie Davis Mills in that role, giving the Texans another excuse as to why their season isn’t what fans want it to be.

3. David Johnson

When a player is a part of a trade that sends DeAndre Hopkins away from the Houston Texans, and from that point on the franchise began to really crumble, the microscope is going to be focusing on every play made during that player’s tenure.

That is what seems to be reality for running back David Johnson as he was acquired (along with a second-round pick that became Ross Blacklock) for DeAndre Hopkins in a trade that has gone down as the worst trade in franchise history.

There is no argument that at the time the Texans needed a running back, but then general manager Bill O’Brien not only traded the team’s best wide receiver, but one of the very best wide receivers in the entire NFL.

Johnson being chosen as a scapegoat might not be fair to him, but in reality he’s always going to be remembered as being the guy who came to the team when they traded Hopkins.

Plus, there is the fact that Johnson’s numbers with the Texans last season weren’t the best with just 12 games played, totaling 691 yards on 147 rushes. He finished with six rushing touchdowns, while adding 314 yards and two touchdowns receiving on 33 receptions (46 targets).

This year, there will be a lot of competition at running back with the addition of Mark Ingram II and Phillip Lindsay, so the numbers and overall playing time of Johnson could be lower than they were a season ago.

Johnson needs to have his best season in quite some time in ’21. The Texans have made additions on their offensive line with changes at guard and center, so maybe that will help the rushing game of Johnson. If not, many will be looking his direction if the ’21 season isn’t the greatest.

2. Nick Caserio

The team that Nick Caserio inherited didn’t have the best roster, and he’s not been able to bring in any superstar-type players to the roster this offseason. If things don’t go right, maybe folks will be looking toward his direction, as he’s changed a majority of the roster.

Caserio and the Texans front office have kept Jack Easterby around, and they let players like J.J. Watt and Will Fuller walk away and join other teams. Though Caserio is in his first season of being an actual GM in title, he was a part of the decision-making process in New England for many years.

Also with Caserio, with Cal McNair not taking any blame in any of the decisions that have been made in recent memory, even before Caserio joined the franchise, being the GM of the Texans most likely won’t be the easiest job for the foreseeable future as a lot of the blame will be put on Caserio.

Like it has been said before at the Toro Times, patience is key for the Houston Texans in ’21, and most likely ’22, ’23 and even ’24 as Caserio works to fix this roster that was destroyed by the past regime.

But when things start to get bad or even worse than last season, Caserio will hear the criticism from critics and many wanting success from the Texans.

1. David Culley

If David Culley does have success with the Houston Texans this season, it will be one of the best coaching jobs done in recent memory. Though that is asking a lot for the first-year head coach, the fact is this isn’t the greatest situation for Culley to be in after working his way to becoming a head coach in the NFL following 20-plus years as an assistant in the league.

Being that the Houston Texans don’t know exactly who the starting quarterback will be, and the fact they haven’t make any decisions to trade Deshaun Watson, the odds are stacked against the new Texans head coach.

Culley deserves a better situation, and hopefully for his sake he isn’t a one-year coach for the team, because he does have a lot of knowledge to share to younger players. Let’s face it, the Texans need a veteran presence as their head coach during what is a multi-year rebuild that is in progress.

The head coach always gets the most blame, and at times it is deserving because of the choices they’ve made coaching their team. Culley doesn’t deserve to be the scapegoat in ’21 as it seems like a lot of “gloom and doom” awaits, but if one person is chosen to be the scapegoat in ’21, it most likely will be Culley.